


Heat

by T_Hurricane



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Burns, Bus Crash, Coma, Complete, Desperation, Established Relationship, Fear, Fear of Death, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Gen, Guilt, Happy Ending, Head Injury, Heavy Angst, Hospitals, Injury, Injury Recovery, Love, M/M, Major Character Injury, Recovery, Reunions, Scars, Talking, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28270401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_Hurricane/pseuds/T_Hurricane
Summary: He tried to move. He could wiggle his arms, and after a few attempts, he could hold his hands in front of his face.Why were his hands full of blood?He gasped in shock, but it quickly turned into a desperate coughing fit as he only managed to inhale smoke and pure heat.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 12
Kudos: 69





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> This has been an idea I had in mind for a bit longer now, so I finally wrote it!
> 
> TW for a bus accident/crash and Major Character Injury! Mind the tags!
> 
> I have created a discord server where you can share fan fiction you would like to recommend, get tips and help from other authors as well as help others out as author, simply chat with people, etc. - all for various fandoms! :) If you are interested to join, I'd be happy to welcome you there! **[Fan Fiction Library (Discord Server)](https://discord.gg/RuSjgxC68t) ** __

Campfire.

That’s what the smell reminded him about.

It smelled like a campfire, just like the one they did a few weeks ago when he was out camping with his older sister and her friends.

Somehow it was calming for him. He had much fun on that camping trip - even though he would never admit it to his sister.

The fire had been really nice. It had been a cold night, so he found comfort in the source of heat.

Wait.

Even if the smell brought back pleasant memories - it had been a cold night.

Then why was he so warm now?

Maybe it was time for him to open his eyes.

Slowly, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, he tried to pry one eye open.

What met him wasn’t a pleasant campfire.

What met him was a wall of orange, yellow and red, only a few meters in front of him. It wasn’t a really big fire - not like the campfire - but the room he was in was small, and the heat absorbed almost everything.

Barely visible through thick black smoke that burnt and stung him in the eyes he turned his head away from the heat and could make out shapes besides him.

A hand.

A bag.

Something - no, someone - was moving at the end of the tunnel he was looking along, right behind the fire. Who were those people? And why couldn’t he move?

And why was everything upside down???

Another groan. But not his.

Whose was it then?

And what the hell had happened?

He tried to move. He could wiggle his arms, and after a few attempts, he could hold his hands in front of his face.

Why were his hands full of blood?

He gasped in shock, but it quickly turned into a desperate coughing fit as he only managed to inhale smoke and pure heat.

Was he injured? He frantically patted down on first his head, then his arms and then the rest of his body - but except for the little explosion of pain when he touched his head he didn’t feel pain in any other part of his body.

He didn’t have the time to wonder where the blood was coming from if not from his hands because something was holding him down. It was tying him to a seat of some kind.

He managed to brush his fingers along what he recognized was a seatbelt, and was surprised that his hands really didn’t hurt. That thought moved to the back of his mind when he felt the buckle of the seatbelt though.

He fumbled around in, pressed something down - click.

And then the ceiling of what he now managed to recognize as a bus crashed face first into him.

Or to be more precise: He had just fallen from the seat he had been in and had crashed face first into the bus ceiling.

He groaned and his head was ringing, but very slowly, sounds made it through the constant ringing in his ears.

He hadn’t even noticed that his ears were ringing up to this moment.

Slowly, and hissing in pain, he sat up and carefully turned his head to analyze the situation as best as he could.

He was in a bus.  
There was blood coming from somewhere.  
The air was full of smoke and heat.  
His head hurt. Like really hurt. At least a 9 out of 10.  
And he was in a bus.

„The tournament…“ he managed to whisper as soon as his brain had put all the infos into one logical explanation.

And then the memories came flushing back into his mind.

He was in a bus.

He was in their bus.

And he wasn’t alone - his whole team was in this bus. They had just been on their way back from the training camp with the Tokyo teams.

The bus was now laying on it’s roof, after a truck had stolen their right of way and crashed into them.

He remembered screams of fear and pain, then something hit his head and then - nothing.

He must have blacked out then, only to come to now.

The sounds were getting louder. Were those… voices?

He turned around to look along the tunnel from earlier - the aisle of the bus he now recognized - and saw two figures, one small and one large, desperately waving at him. They were shouting something.

He closed his eyes and focused.

Still that annoying ringing. But then…

„…ama! Kageyama!! Can you hear us??? KAGEYAMA!“

It was a bit distorted and sounded similar to when someone tries to talk with you while you are underwater.

He opened his eyes again and stared back at the two people frantically shouting his name.

Nishinoya and Daichi-san.

„I can hear you!“ he managed to croak out, but even he hadn’t really heard that he had said it out aloud. He just looked them directly in the eyes and nodded slowly.

„Thank god!“ Daichi-san almost sobbed.

„We weren’t able to get to you two, the fire is blocking our way! The coach and the others are trying to break through the side window, stay calm and do not get near the glass!“ Nishioya screamed.

It took him a while, but then he nodded. He had understood.

Only… they weren’t able to get to the two of them?

He slowly started to turn his head to look up, to where he had just fallen out of the seat.

His seat was of course empty now - but the one beside it wasn’t.

In it sat Hinata.

Kageyama gulped and cried out in horror and fear.

He now knew where the blood on his hands came from.

„Hey… Kageyama. I’m glad… that you’re okay“ Hinata said with half lidded eyes.

„Hinata!“ Kageyama cried out again, flinching as a drop of blood fell onto his shoulder.

It was Hinata’s blood - and it was coming right from where a metal rod had impaled him through his seat.


	2. Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had to do something. The fire, although now getting smaller and weaker was still closing in on them and he had to help his friend. 
> 
> Who was impaled. With a metal pole or whatever it was right in his shoulder. Trapped on a bus seat. Upside down. While a fire was stealing their air and making what was left on it almost unbearable to breathe.
> 
> The pounding in his ears only started to become louder and he felt how his vision began swimming.
> 
> „Focus“ Kageyama told himself, allowing to use precious air to calm and ground himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for burns/being burnt and being trapped by flames

„Hey… Kageyama. I’m glad… that you’re okay“ Hinata said with half lidded eyes. 

„Hinata!“ Kageyama cried out again, flinching as a drop of blood fell onto his shoulder. 

It was Hinata’s blood. 

And it was coming right from where a metal rod had impaled him on his seat. 

„Hinata!“ Kageyama tried to scream again, but what was supposed to be words only came out as a desperate coughing fit. 

This couldn’t be true. 

This could just not be true. 

Hinata had just been telling him about the training he did with some members of Nekoma and Fukuroudani. 

Then, out of nowhere - just as they were about to drive off of the highway - the crash happened. Kageyama felt a shiver run down on his spine when he remembered the pained scream that he just managed to register before he blacked out - it must have been Hinata’s scream. 

Or his own? He wasn’t sure at this point. 

He shook his head, even though the motion made him dizzy.  
He needed to focus. 

Another drop of blood hit him, on the head this time. He could feel it running down his face like a tear. 

„I’m sorry… Kageyama“ Hinata whispered again, barely audible above the shouts of Daichi and Nishinoya as well as the drumming of his own heartbeat in his ears. 

„I fear I won’t be able to spike your tosses any longer“ he added, a tired and sad smile on his face. 

It looked so wrong. 

„Don’t apologize! Of course you still will“ Kageyama half screamed half rasped. 

He felt like he was more and more out of breath with each second. 

„You can’t talk like that!“ Kageyama rasped. 

Hinata didn’t respond. 

„Hey, Boke!“ He desperately cried out and he reached up to grab and squeeze his hand. Hinata looked at him then. 

He was paler than usual, was he?

He had to do something. The fire, although now getting smaller and weaker was still closing in on them and he had to help his friend. 

Who was impaled. With a metal pole or whatever it was right in his shoulder. Trapped on a bus seat. Upside down. While a fire was stealing their air and making what was left on it almost unbearable to breathe.

The pounding in his ears only started to become louder and he felt how his vision began swimming.

„Focus“ Kageyama told himself, allowing to use precious air to calm and ground himself.

„Hinata, look at me. I am going to try“, he took a raspy and shallow breath, „to get you down from there“ he said, already panting more heavily from speaking only these few words. 

„Why“ Hinata managed to whisper, and Kageyama really didn’t know how he caught what he had said. 

„Smoke… worse up there“ Kageyama managed to say before he had to cough.

Hinata made a tiny nod. 

Kageyama tried frantically to think.

How was going to get him down, really?

He managed to shift his position and looked at the back of the seat. 

No metal rod there. Maybe it hadn’t completely impaled him then - maybe he had only been stabbed by it. 

Kageyama had to swallow back bile at thinking about what he was actually debating right now. 

„I think I can get you down“ he rasped, and made to fumble around the seatbelt’s lock. 

„Hang on. Hold yourself with your feet“ he said and Hinata nodded. 

He was just about to unbuckle him when he heard a knocking sound near him. 

Kageyama whipped his head around, but it only made him dizzy again and he almost slumped back to the ground from where he was kneeling upright. 

Feeling more relieved than he thought he could be in this situation, he saw his coach, teacher and team members on the other side of the bus window. 

He almost sobbed, and he strained his ears to make out what they were screaming after he saw their lips moving. 

He carefully scooted closer to the glass and pressed his ear against it. 

„Kageyama! We need to break the window - that will risk getting the fire going again but we have to get you out of there now! Stay back!!“ Takeda was screaming. 

He barely had time to nod in agreement before Ukai started slamming a metal rod against the window. 

The rod only repelled and vibrated, but there wasn’t even a scratch in the glass. 

Ukai tried again and again - until finally, a little crack showed. 

Kageyama saw the hesitant cheer of his teammates who were all standing a bit behind the two grown ups. 

Ukai then hit the glass again, and this time, a whole as big as maybe a fist was in the glass. 

Kageyama felt it way longer than it took his mind to realize what was happening now. 

The fire that had been slowly dying out - but now, with a new source for oxygen it raged back to life. 

His coach apparently hadn’t noticed it yet and continued to hit against the glass - the hole getting bigger with each hit - but at the same time it added more and more fuel to the fire until it took over to the seat that had been in front of them while they were driving in the bus. 

Kageyama felt the flames on his back, but what pained him more than the heat blistering his back was the whine of pain that came from Hinata. 

The shorter boy had no way of freeing himself from his seat on his own, and he was trapped with a wall of flames slowly creeping up to them. 

In addition to him being impaled, he was literally facing fire. 

He screamed as one of the flames started to eat away on the seat where his feet were awkwardly being pulled down by gravity but still trapped by the seat in front of him and Kageyama really couldn’t bear it any longer. 

„Hold on!“ he tried to shout but it only came out as a desperate wheeze. He grabbed Hinata’s good shoulder and gave it a weak squeeze. Then, he unbuckled the seatbelt. 

Hinata almost crashed into him, but with a strength he didn’t know he had left in him Kageyama pulled him towards him, making Hinata fall on his bottom in his lap. Hinata let out a scream when his injured shoulder was jostled and he slumped together in Kageyama’s hold. His body shook with sobs. 

„Shhhhh, shhh, look“ Kageyama whispered and pointed at the others, ignoring the flames that now took over the seats they had been sitting on. 

„They are going to safe us“ he added, and he felt Hinata’s breath even out at these words. 

The fire was still going stronger with each hit that enlarged the whole in the window - their only way of escape - but the glass was sturdy and covered with a foil from both the outside and the inside. 

It was supposed to prevent the broken glass to fly all around the passengers, but what was normally a reasonable safety feature was now threatening to become their doom. 

Ukai was desperately hacking away in the glass, Takeda now joining in, too, but the progress was too slow.  
He also saw how horrified the others looked at them - they probably just discovered how injured Hinata really was. 

Or they discovered how they were being burnt alive.

Kageyama could smell burnt flesh, and with horror he realized that it was his and Hinata’s.

Slowly, he scooted around and gently hugged Hinata, pressing the smaller boys body into his chest and turning his own back against the heat that was continuously coming closer.

„What… are you doing?“ Hinata rasped. He was even more pale now.

„Making sure the fire doesn’t… reach all of you“ Kageyama managed to say while he focused on keeping himself and Hinata as far away from the flames as best as he could.

He cursed his shaking hands and the spots dancing in his vision. 

His lungs burned and he was struggling to get enough air in. Coughing wasn’t helping, and the air that flowed to them through the growing hole in the window seemed to only be direct fuel for the fire.

The flames were all around them now. He faintly registered them melting the flesh off his back, but he couldn’t feel the pain anymore. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind he also recognized the sound of ambulances, police cars or fire trucks - help was on the way, then - but he could only think about Hinata who had gone limp in his arms. 

He screamed his name, but he wasn’t sure if he had produced any sound. 

Then, with his vision tunneling more and more, he could suddenly feel Hinata being pried away from him, but before he could even muster up any protest hands were on him, too, and he felt himself being pulled forward. 

Someone was carrying him now, but he couldn’t focus on anything other than one thing: 

Where was Hinata? 

He tried to move, but the person was gently lying him down in his side now, on some sort of blanket or jacket. 

Flashing lights almost blinded him and he saw people in bright jackets running around. One of them was propping Hinata up on a stretcher of some kind. 

And with the knowledge of his friend being safe, Kageyama gave in to the dark and painless nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still trying to decide if I actually like the way this chapter turned out or not, so I may end up changing it in the future
> 
> I would be so so grateful to hear your opinion on it!!
> 
> Thanks for reading and **please leave a comment!!!**


	3. Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were flashes of light, burning in his eyes and too bright as he tried to pry his eyes open. 
> 
> He felt strangely detached - he remembered pain and heat, but now there was only a light, soft feeling in and all around him. Where he remembered heat, there was now a soothing cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there xD  
> I am so, so sorry for not updating this in so long, but in the past few weeks I had to focus on my studies and university :D 
> 
> Thanks for bearing with me!

There were flashes of light, burning in his eyes and too bright as Kageyama tried to pry his eyes open. 

He felt strangely detached - he remembered pain and heat, but now there was only a light, soft feeling in and all around him. Where he remembered heat, there was now a soothing cold. 

He blinked a few times, but the light made it hard for him to see anything other than a white and grey blur. Tears were coating his eyes as he tried to squint and make out anything. 

He tried to move his hand, and was satisfied at the tiny motion his fingers made. 

Although feeling detached - his body was still there then. 

But why did it feel so light and foggy in the first place? 

The more time passed the more his eyes accommodated to the light. He could make out a large room, and now that he thought of it, two steady sets of beeping. 

„Wha…“ he tried to ask what had happened, but it only came out as slurred groan. 

„Kageyama-san?“ someone then asked, and he saw a small figure with blonde hair come into his field of vision. They - she - gently grabbed his hand and squeezed it. 

„You’re awake“ she sobbed. 

„Y-Yachi-san?“ he then said, recognizing her. 

„Yes, it’s me“ she said with a smile while rubbing her eyes with her free hand. 

„What… happened? Why do I feel so… floaty?“ he asked then, rolling his head a bit to look at her directly. 

„I will get a doctor, they need to know that you are awake. Don’t worry, they will explain everything to you, okay? Just hold on“ she promised and then stood up to leave the room. 

While she was gone he tried to move more, tried to sit up. As soon as he moved his shoulders and back though, a sharp pain erupted in him, it felt like he was being stabbed between the shoulder blades. 

With a gasp he sank back on what he now recognized was a bed. 

„I’m in the hospital…“ he concluded. 

And with that information, everything came back. He remembered everything: The crash, the pain, the fire, Hinata -

„Hinata!“ he said, panic in his voice. 

Where was he? Where was his partner?

The door opened, and three people with white lab coats came running in. 

„You need to calm down“ one said immediately, grasping the situation. 

„Where is Hinata?“ he asked them, ignoring their instructions. Despite the pain, he tried to sit up again - he had to find him. 

„Shhh, hey, hey. It’s going to be alright. Your friend is okay for now, in fact, he is right here. You need to calm down, please“ one of the three, the only woman, said. 

„He’s okay? But the fire and- and there was so much blood and-„ Kageyama gasped, working himself into a panic attack. 

„He is still asleep like you were, but you need to calm down. Let me help you, then you can see him“ the doctor said. 

She gently grabbed his shoulders and nodded to the other two who began to fumble around with the monitors and machines near his bed. 

Kageyama felt something cold in his arm - looking to his side he saw one of the doctors injecting something in his IV port, and with the cold a calm settled over him. 

He took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that he had been hyperventilating before. 

„There, it’s alright“ she doctor said with a soothing voice, and Kageyama felt his body relax again. 

„I need to see him“ he said after another few deep breaths, having calmed down due to the injection.

„Let’s try and prop the bed up a bit, okay? While we do that, can you look at me, please“ she said. While the head end of the bed was slowly rising, she shone a flashlight into his eyes. 

„Pupils react normally again, I think we are out of the danger zone with that concussion“ she said and one of the doctors noted something on a clipboard. 

„Can you squeeze my hands, please“ she said while she took Kageyama’s hands in her own. 

He managed to squeeze them a bit, but he already felt exhausted.

„Very good“ she reassured him. 

„Kageyama-kun, what do you remember about your injuries? And where do you feel pain now?“ she then asked. 

„My back and my head hurt. My legs, too - like they are sore all over“ he admitted. 

„Okay. Your parents are on the way, and they already know of this, but I'm going to tell you now, too. You have second and third degree burns on your upper back and arms. We had to surgically remove some burnt tissue, and I’m very sorry but it will scar badly. You also have a concussion, but there is no damage to your brain so it will heal naturally. Your lungs were slightly burned and you had smoke poisoning, but you’re out of the danger zone there, too“ she explained. 

„What?“ Kageyama asked baffled. 

„I know that this is much to take in, I’m very sorry. You mentioned your legs aching - this is normal and nothing you should worry about. It will go away in a few days and with some light exercise“ she continued, smiling sadly. 

„Why is that normal?“ he asked, unsure. 

„It is normal for coma patients, Kageyama-kun. You were asleep for two weeks“ the doctor then said. 

Kageyama felt like he was dreaming. 

„Two… weeks?“ he asked with a small voice. 

„Yes. With the extent of the burns it was a necessary measure, I’m very sorry“ she explained. The other two doctors were still busy noting down values and numbers on a clipboard. 

„And.. Hinata?“ he asked, gulping. 

„He’s okay, but he lost a lot of blood and also has burns on his side, chest and legs. They are not as bad as your’s, but he still sleeps most of the time due to the effect of the painkillers we give him“ she said. 

„Where is he? You said he was here…“ he then asked, but she only pointed to his right. 

With his body propped up and with turning his head completely to the side he could see another hospital bed, and someone lying in it. 

Someone with an unmistakable mop of orange hair, someone who was snoring softly. 

„Hinata…“ Kageyama exhaled then. He finally slumped back completely, relieved at seing his partner alive and breathing. 

He had feared that he would never see him breathing again. 

„I know that it is a lot to take in, but I also know what you did. Your teammates came to visit you two every day, and they - as well as Hinata-kun - have waited eagerly for you to wake up. They told me how you protected your friend from the fire. You’re no doubt a real hero“ she said. 

„The others came to visit? ...Right, where is Yachi-san?“ Kageyama just asked, fazed. 

„Don’t worry, she is waiting outside while we are here. There are actually three visitors today, but I think two were just going out and grabbing something from the cafeteria. A tall blonde boy and a green haired boy with freckles?“ she said. 

„Yeah, I know them“ he said with a half-smile. 

„Okay, until your parents arrive you should get some more rest, we will talk about your way to recovery together then“ the doctor said and went to stand up. 

„Sensei!“ Kageyama exclaimed, almost panicked and maybe a bit too loudly. 

„Yes?“ she said and turned back around. 

„You said… that my back and my arms - You said they will scar. Does… Does that mean that I won’t be able to play volleyball anymore?“ he stuttered, fearing the possible answer that he knew would shatter him. 

„It depends on your recovery, but with the right treatment and exercises the scarring will still be there, but it may not hinder you in your movements. The most important thing for you now is to rest and let the wounds close, then we will see further. Okay?“ she replied gently. 

„Okay“ Kageyama said. 

At least his second worst fear hasn’t come true - even if it still might.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you liked the new chapter! I would love to hear your opinions in a comment!!
> 
> I have already started the next (and last) chapter, so you won't have to wait this long again ;)


	4. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Kageyama is awake - someone is eager to welcome him back. 
> 
> But guilt hides behind the relief, and since, some things need to be clarified and talked about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! :D

„Alright, I’ll talk to you later then. Do you want to see your visitors or do you prefer to be alone for now?“ she said before she went through the door. 

„No, uhm… I want to see them, please“ he answered, and only a few seconds later, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima and Yachi came in, the last completely dissolved in tears. 

„Kageyama!“ Yamaguchi exclaimed happily and took one of his hands to squeeze it lightly in greeting. 

„Hi King. How are you feeling?“ Tsukishima asked, but there was no bite behind the usually teasing nickname, only relief and even happiness. 

„Okay, I think. I’s a bit foggy and floaty, and everything hurts when I move“ Kageyama admitted. 

„How is Hinata? And what happened after… after you got out of the bus?“ he then asked with a small voice. 

„He’s okay so far, but he sleeps lot of the time because they still have to give him strong painkillers. He woke up a few days after the accident and immediately wanted to see you, that’s why they put him in the same room as you. He… He wouldn’t calm down until he saw you“ Yamaguchi began to tell. His voice almost broke when he said the last sentence. 

„You.. If it hand’t been for you shielding him, he would have died, Kageyama. The burns he would have sustained if you hadn’t gotten him out of his seat combined with the blood loss would have most likely killed him“ Tsukishima continued after Yamaguchi had silently begun to cry and sob. 

„What?“ Kageyama only managed to say with a trembling voice. 

„Yeah“ Yamaguchi just replied and squeezed his hand again. 

„We were all so helpless - the glass wouldn’t break and when it did, the air that got in only filed the fire and.. and your screams…“ he continued and almost choked on the next sob.  
Yachi was there almost immediately and rubbed his back in comfort, but she was visibly struggling to stay composed herself. 

„We were just so helpless. We couldn’t do anything other than watch you burn alive, and when you finally got out… It was horrible“ she said. 

„Hinata hasn’t been himself since he woke up, too. He is restless and so worried for you…“ Yamaguchi sobbed. 

Kageyama gulped heavily. 

„Can.. He is sleeping now, isn’t he?“ he only asked with a croaked voice. He dimly registered the tears streaming down his face, and he thanked Yachi after she handed him a tissue and helped him wipe his face clean of them. 

Tsukishima then went over to check on Hinata - who in fact was still snoring softly. 

„Yeah, but he made me promise him something, so don’t stop me now“ he just said, and then gently grabbed one of Hinata’s feet. 

„Oi, Hinata. Wake up. There is someone who wants to see you“ he just said before the others could protest. 

After a while, Hinata stirred. 

„…Tsukishima?“ he asked, his voice was still heavy with sleep. 

„Yeah, it’s me. You awake?“ the blonde asked. 

„Thanks to you“ Hinata replied groggily.  
„You here to visit me? Where are the others?“ he asked and started to slowly rub his eyes. 

„Yachi-san and I are here, too, but there is also someone else who wants to see you“ Yamaguchi answered with a big grin and after rubbing his nose. 

„Who is it?“ Hinata asked in reply and began to slowly sit up in his bed, small winces accompanying almost every movement he made. He looked over to Tsukishima, and then to Yachi and Yamaguchi, who were both sitting on Kageyama’s bed. 

Then he looked over at Kageyama, expecting to find him fast asleep in a coma - but when his eyes looked at Kageyama’s face, Hinata froze. 

„K-Kageyama?“ he asked in disbelief, in a small and tentative voice, as if he had seen a ghost. 

„Hey“ Kageyama just answered awkwardly. He felt how relieved he suddenly felt - Hinata really was alive. He was okay, he was breathing, the fire didn’t take his partner away from him. 

He had of course believed the doctors when they told him that his partner was going to be okay - but it was just so much more different than seeing him alive and breathing right in front of him.

„Tobio“ Hinata just whispered and put his hand over his mouth to surpress a sob. 

With tears running over his face he slowly set one foot on the ground, followed by the other. 

„Let me help you“ Yamaguchi said and rushed to Hinata’s side and grabbed his arm before the other could stumble and fall over.  
Slowly, Hinata made one step after the other, reaching Kageyama’s bed after what felt like an eternity to him but what in reality were only a few seconds. 

„Shouyou“ Tobio then whispered, and again, tears were streaming over his face. 

„Hi“ Hinata just replied gently and with a relieved smile on his face after he sat down near his side and clapped Kageyama’s hand in his. He squeezed it and gently brought it up to his lips to kiss his knuckles. 

„I’m so glad you’re okay“ Kageyama sobbed and squeezed Hinata’s hands in return. 

„And I’m so glad that you are awake“ Hinata answered, lowering his hands and turning his gaze down. 

„When… when I woke up, and you weren’t there… I thought you died, Tobio. I really thought that you died only to protect me“ he began to explain. 

„All I could remember in that bus, after the crash… It was all just so much - so much pain, so much heat, so much fear - but then you were there, and I suddenly knew that I would be okay because you were there…. But then I began fearing for you. Y-Your back and arms… I’m so sorry, Tobio“ Hinata sobbed and buried his forehead in Kageyama’s chest. 

„What if I am the reason that you will never be the same? That… you can never play volleyball again?“ he then whispered in a broken voice. 

Yachi, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had all slowly retreated to the other end of the room to give them some space, but wen Hinata said those words, they couldn’t hold back their tears anymore. 

„Shouyou, no…“ Kageyama tried to calm his partner down, but when Hinata lifted his head and looked up at him it almost broke his heart. 

„I’m s-so sorry, Tobio“ he sobbed and held one hand in front of his mouth again to try and muffle the sob. 

„You should have just left me there and gotten out yourself while you still had the chance“

And at that statement, Kageyama had enough. 

„Shoyou. Look at me“ he said, his voice way firmer than he thought he could muster up in his half dazed state.

The other reluctantly looked back from where he had averted his gaze to the floor. 

„Shouyou, do you even hear what you are saying? I would never, never leave you behind! You hear me? You’re my partner! I couldn’t care less about volleyball - as long as you are there, I know I can be happy“ he said and managed to bring his hand up and cup Hinata’s face. He gently stroked over his cheeks with his thumb and wiped at his tears. 

„And it’s not even certain that I will never play volleyball again. There… There will be scars, but the doctors said that the chances of everything healing right are high“ he finished.

„But.. It looked so bad… When they changed your bandages“ and while saying that, Hinata gently clutched Kageyama’s hospital gown, „I.. I saw. The burns, I mean. It just looked so horrible, and they put you in that coma because you wouldn’t have been able to deal with the pain if you were awake, and... I just can’t help but feel that it is all my fault“ he said with a tiny voice. 

„Shouyou… I’m sorry if that scared you. But do you know how fucking afraid I was when I came to in that bus and the only think I could see were my hands, covered in your blood? And then, when I saw you… I just couldn’t deal with the imagination of loosing you. You are more important to me than anything, and I would gladly trade volleyball in for you if it means that you live to stay in my life“ Kageyama explained. 

„Nothing of this is your fault… It’s no one’s fault. Except maybe for that truck that hit us“ he tried in a lighter tone, but his voice almost broke at remembering the horrible scenes. 

„Just… Just don’t leave me, okay?“ he finally asked, and with asking he also admitted his fear. 

That Hinata could leave him - but not because of an accident ripping him away from him, but because he had scared Hinata away. 

„You’re one to call me Boke all the time when in reality you’re the Boke“ Hinata replied with a soft chuckle. 

„I will never leave you. We will get through this together“ he said and finally, finally moved his head towards Kageyama’s and caught his lips with his own in a delicate and soft kiss. It conveyed everything - the gratitude for saving him, for not hating him, for not giving up on each other, and for being there for it all - together. 

„I’m just glad you don’t hate me“ Hinata said after they slowly broke apart. 

„I could never hate you. You can’t imagine how happy I am that you and I even made it out of there together“ Kageyama said, a bit breathless. 

„I can… because I feared the same“ Hinata replied and gave Kageyama a gentle peck on the nose. 

„We’ll make it through this. Together“ Hinata then promised. 

„Together“ Kageyama only repeated and closed his eyes in relief.

###### 

_„Kageyama, Hinata! Quit fooling around and start your warm up exercises!“ Daichi yelled over the court from where he and the rest of the team was beginning to set up the net._

_„Okay!“ Hinata and Kageyama replied and began with their special exercises. They - well, Kageyama mostly, but Hinata, too - had to do special stretching exercises to make sure that the still sensitive skin and scars around and of their wounds won’t trouble them. Despite Kageyama not feeling the parts that had burned anymore - the nerve endings had simply burned away - the skin surrounding the scar tissue was delicate._

_It has been three months since Kageyama woke up, and two weeks since the doctors had given him the clearance to begin with volleyball again._

_The team had welcomed him and Hinata, who had been cleared two weeks earlier than Kageyama, back with a huge party. They were simply relieved to see so many new images of Kageyama and Hinata happy, healthy and alive replace the scenes of horror from the bus crash._

_And even though they could still see their scars poking out from under their jerseys - the smiles the two wore on their faces when Hinata slammed the ball into the opponent’s court because of Kageyama’s perfect toss some time into training outshone the scars that will forever tell their story._

_A story of love and sacrifice for the person they couldn’t be without and were ready to give up everything for._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!!
> 
> I would really **love** to hear you opinions about it - every comment is really appreciated!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> I would love to hear if you would be interested in a continuation of this work! Just leave a **comment**! I am looking forward to reading your opinions!!
> 
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